I Heart The Duggars & Homemade Laundry Soap

Did you know the new season of 19 Kids and Counting starts tonight? I'll be watching, will you?

I just refilled my laundry soap dispenser and thought I would share this recipe with you. Several years ago I use to make laundry soap. I lost the recipe when we moved. With the high price for HE soap & a call from my sister, I thought I would start making it again and save a penny or two along the way.

I had to find a new recipe. In my search, The Duggars recipe site came up with several recipes including a laundry soap recipe.  I've been using this recipe for the last 6 to 8 months. It works very well. I have no problems at all, not even with the white load.

This recipe makes 5 gallons concentrated  laundry gel & 10 gallons soap in total. I bought a 5 gallon bucket and lid from Home Depot to store the gel in. When I'm ready to refill my dispenser, I stir/whisk the gel with a long dowel rod or spoon to turn it back to a liquid. I fill a recycled laundry soap dispenser about 1/3 full with the liquid gel, then fill with water to the top on a very slow drip or you get lots of bubbles.  I like to use 1/3 soap to 2/3 water instead of the half & half the recipe calls for.

Here's a picture of the concentrated gel. Looks like pudding.

Onto the recipe.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap

4 Cups hot tap water

1 bar Fels-Naptha Soap

1 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

1/2 Cup Borax

 Grate bar of soap and add to 4 cups hot water to dissolve.

 Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full with hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and the Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill the bucket to the top with hot tap water. Stir, cover with lid and let sit over night to thicken.

Stir and fill your clean laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill to the top with water. (use a slow stream of water or you will get tons of bubbles).

Shake before each use.

Don't replace the Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda with another item. The laundry soap needs the sodium carbonate to work.

You can add 10 to 15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled.

Duggar ideas: lavender, rosemary or tea tree oil.

The soap has a slight citrus scent. I didn't add any oil to mine, my sister found a nice oil that had an orange scent to add to her laundry soap. Her family loved it.

Here's a link to The Duggar recipes. Be sure to check them out. There's also a dry laundry soap recipe along with a few of their favorite recipes.

http://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html

Comfort Food Sunday

Lucky me, I found a way to upload my pictures until I get the new photo software. ; )

I have been looking through my handwritten recipe book. I found this recipe in there twice. From my MIL and a family friend Sue. Must have been a popular recipe back in the 60's or 70's.

I decided to change it just a bit. One ingredient to be exact. I used chicken broth in place of 1 stick melted butter.

While eating dinner, I thought small pieces of carrot would be really good in the rice. Might try that next time.

Chicken & Rice Casserole

1 1/2 C uncooked rice
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C water
1 14 oz can chicken broth (original recipes calls for 1 stick melted butter)
6 to 8 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pam a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
Mix rice, soups & water together. Salt and pepper to taste.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Place chicken on top of rice. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour can of broth over chicken and rice.
Bake for 1 1/2 hours longer.

Trying it again...

I tried blogging a few years ago. Then again about a year and a half ago. I'm ready to give it another go. ; )

I'll share recipes, crafts, pictures and whatever else comes to mind.  I hope my ramblings will bring a smile or laugh to your day.